LSU’s NFL hopefuls have one more hurdle before next month’s NFL Draft: Pro Day.
For NFL coaches and scouts in attendance, it’s one of the last times they can see players in person before deciding to add them to their team.
There are 28 former Tigers who will strut their stuff in the LSU Football Practice Facility today to try and find a landing spot on an NFL roster.
Here are some questions LSU football fans should find out the answers to at LSU’s Pro Day:
1. Can Barkevious Mingo upstage his NFL Combine numbers?
Despite putting up ridiculous numbers at the NFL Combine, defensive end Barkevious Mingo has seen his stock fall in recent NFL mock drafts. Multiple draft websites are now projecting Mingo to land with the New Orleans Saints at pick No. 15.
At one point, Mingo was considered a lock to go in the top 10 of the draft, but for some reason, he has dropped out of that range.
The question is whether Mingo will be able to get back in consideration to be taken in the top 10 picks with an unreal performance today. Either way, whoever drafts him will be getting a player who has the potential to be a game-changer at the next level.
2. Can Sam Montgomery improve stock despite comments?
I loved interviewing Montgomery while covering LSU football. He was the one guy you could ask questions and know he was giving you the God-honest truth.
The only problem is, sometimes telling the truth can get you in trouble — or in this case, cost you millions of dollars. At the NFL Combine, Montgomery explained how he didn’t view all games at LSU the same.
“Definitely some weeks that we didn’t have to play the harder teams, there were some times that effort wasn’t needed,” Montgomery said at the NFL Combine. “But it was different when we had the big boys and everything coming in — the ‘Bamas or a South Carolina, and I’d grab real close to those guys and go all out for them.”
Montgomery’s draft stock has fallen significantly since the combine, whether it was for the comments or his substandard combine performance. He needs to have a big day today.
3. What kind of numbers will Tyrann Mathieu put up?
Mathieu didn’t play a snap in the 2012 season, so he doesn’t have any recent film to show to NFL scouts. He needs an impressive Pro Day to improve his stock.
The 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist posted a 4.50 40-yard dash number and a 34-inch vertical jump at the NFL combine. If he hopes to get taken before Day 3 of the draft, he needs to have an excellent showing today.
4. How will LSU players from past seasons fare?
Former LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee will throw passes to wide receiver Russell Shepard at Pro Day. Lee played with the San Diego Chargers in the 2012 NFL preseason before being cut.
Offensive linemen Will Blackwell and T-Bob Hebert, who were let go in the last round of cuts prior to the season by the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams, respectively, will be in attendance. Other Tigers from past seasons participating include Karnell Hatcher, Jordan Jefferson, Alex Russian and Charles Scott.
5. How will Russell Shepard perform?
Shepard might be one of the more intriguing players in the 2013 NFL Draft. He was a late addition to the Senior Bowl despite not being invited to the NFL Combine.
The former five-star quarterback out of high school hasn’t put up any official numbers yet, but has tweeted he ran a sub-4.40 mark in the 40-yard dash. There’s no way Shepard goes in the first two days of the draft, but an impressive showing today could raise some eyebrows on NFL scouts.
Shepard never lived up to the sky-high expectations LSU fans had for him in purple and gold, but he has a chance to make his mark in the NFL with no one paying him any attention.
Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.
